General News

News Roundup: Sept. 26

By:
Erika Gimenes

Sep 26, 2001 | 9:41am EDT

Top Story

The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who gave Aaliyah's pilot permission to fly the plane that killed the R&B singer and seven members of her entourage committed suicide last week, officials told The Post on Wednesday. Officials will not release further information about his possible motive. .In other areas of the investigation, the charter plane's owner, Gilbert Chacon, has filed a complaint about pilot Luis Morales, saying that he "inappropriately logged hundreds of hours as 'pilot in command' when it was questionable whether he was even a pilot on the flights [he logged]," PageSix.com reported. But Gabriel Penagaricano, representing the Morales family, told the publication that the "wild allegations are only trying to deflect the blame, which falls squarely on the shoulders of the aircraft owner."

In Courts

Arnold Schwarzenegger has sued International Game Technology, Inc. for the unauthorized use of his picture and voice on a Terminator-themed slot machine, the actor's attorney, Marty Singer, told Reuters on Tuesday. The suit claims more than $20 million in damages, which the actor says he could have received if he approved a similar licensing agreement. IGT representatives had no comment about the lawsuit.

In General

Stars attending the 53rd annual Emmy Awards have been asked to wear business attire instead of formalwear to reflect the nation's somber mood, organizers told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Jennifer Price, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, has confirmed that the celebrity arrivals won't be broadcast, either. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres has been confirmed as the host for the show; however, veteran CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite has been asked to open the ceremony. The awards show, to be seen 95 countries, will take a moment during its broadcast to thank people worldwide for their support of America.

Sports stars such as Tiger Woods and Venus Williams have donated items for eBay's "Auction for America." The auction site hopes to raise $100 million within 100 days. People's contribution's -- through buying, selling, or donating cash directly -- will go to benefit work of organizations like the September 11th Fund, The New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund and The Twin Towers Fund, an eBay spokesperson told Hollywood.com on Wednesday. Bidding for Wood's framed autographed pin flag from the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, has reached $10,000 since its starting date. The auction is set to end on Oct. 1st. Every auction will runs differently, with each seller having up to 7, or even 10 days, to sell their each item. The total of all auctions for "Auction for America." will be collected at the end of 100 days.

The major networks have started including the U.S. flag in their logos, or in many cases, altering their colors to include red, white and blue, Reuters reported. CBS is airing a three-second shot of the flag rustling in the wind as their transparent logo appears in the corner of the screen. NBC filled its feathers with the stars and stripes of the American flag. ABC added red, white and blue stripes to its alphabet sphere logo. WB has put three lightly shaded red, white and blue stripes behind its logo, and Fox's bug, includes an animated flag that turns into the transparent Fox logo.

Lou Waters, who has been a CNN news anchor since its launch in 1980, is leaving the network to become managing editor and on-air personality at NewsProNet, a company that produces prepackaged news features for Atlanta television stations, AP reported. Most recently, Waters and Natalie Allen anchored CNN Live Today on weekday afternoons.

Vivendi Universal said on Tuesday that its Universal Music Group record company will start issuing CDs in October equipped with software to prevent digital copying, Reuters reported. The company hopes that the software will improve poor record sales, which they blame at least in part on users burning copies of CDs from other users or acquiring digital files over the Internet.

American Pie star Jason Biggs is getting ready to hit Broadway as the lead in The Graduate. Biggs will play Benjamin Braddock, the character originated by Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 film. According to the Hollywood Reporter, The Graduate marks the return to Broadway for Biggs, who starred on the New York stage 10 years ago opposite Judd Hirsch in Conversations With My Father.